Overshoe-retainer.



PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907.

G. E. ZBIGLBR.

OVBRSHOE RETAINER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY-23.1908.

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attained,

RS can WASHINGTON. n. c.

. overshoe and Fig. 2 is a top GEORGE ELLIS ZEIGLER, OF ECONOMY, PENNSYLVANIA.

OVERSHOE-RETAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed May 23, 1906. Serial No. 318,337.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE ELLIS Zine- LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Economy, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Overshoe-Retainers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Rubber overshoes are liable by reason of the high heels and not properly fitting the shoe of the wearer and from other causes, to slip down at the heel and to come off and to prevent this I have produced an overshoe retainer of soft sheet rubber molded into form and fixed to the inner wall of the heel so that the retaining part will stand from the line of the fastened part upward and inward at an angle of about forty five degrees so as to form an elastic transverse wall connecting the side walls of the heel so that in putting on the overshoe the unattached wall part will be pulled back and stretched to conform to the inner wall of the overshoe to allow it to be put on and thereby caused to exert an elastic hugging force against and around the heel of the shoe of the wearer and causing the unattached part of the retainer to have a clamping or binding function upon the heel of the wearers shoe at the swell and just above the swell on the receding curve of the heel, so that the unattached rubber part will act to have an expanding action upon the receding curve at the top edge of the shoe of the wearer and thus form a sort of shoulder over which the retainer is expanded securely holding the heel of the overshoe from slipping down.

Afeature of myimprovement is the attachment of the pull-loop to the inner wall of the to the unattached rubber retainer part so that in pulling the loop to pull on the overshoe, the unattached retainer part will be pulled back against the inner wall of the overshoe out of the way in putting it on.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate my improvement Figure 1 shows in vertical section an overshoe having my improved heel retainer in its normal position.

view of the heel part of a rubber overshoe showing the elastic heel retainer in its normal position. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same showing the heel retainer in the positionit is pulled by the loop in putting the overshoe on the shoe of the wearer. Fig. 4 shows the retainer in *erspective.

The retainer is of soft rub er in sheet form having a curved edge 1, conforming for a portion to the upper edge of the overshoe 2, and terminating in side or end projections 3, 3, and is of a size and thickness to be fitted upon and conform to the inner wall of the heel of an overshoe. In applying this retainer its mediate upper edge is about on a level with the top edge of the shoe while its side projections slope downward and with the mediate tongue at its lower edge are connected to the wall, leaving the retainer part 5, standing inward at an angle to form the elastic retainer, which, for this purpose, is stretched back against the wall out of the way in putting on the overshoe, so that by reason of the elasticity of this oblique part 5, it will sonstantly tend to be forced inward against the heel of the shoe of the wearer with a sort of gripping function. For this purpose the retainer is molded to conform to the inner wall of the heel with its upper mediate part 5, deflected from the fastened sides so as to stand inward away from the wall of the heel and this is its normal position. To pull it back out of the way in putting on the over shoe I cement the leg 6, of the loop 7, to the 'wall of the shoe and the leg 8, to the deflected part 5, of the retainer so that in pulling on the shoe by the loop will pullthc deflected retainer back against the wall.

Should the rubber overshoe have a lining the side projections of the retainer are socured inside of the lining. The elastic retainer part 'may be formed with ribs or corrugations 4 to re-inferce its holding function.

The advantage of molding the retainer with its lower portion the counterpart of the inner wall of the heel of the shoe is to give it a smooth fastening surface in being cemented to the wall, and the upper part extending from the cemented part upward and inward overhal'iging the cemented part, is to give the overhanging part a better hold, and fit upon the heel of the wearers shoe and upon the receding part of the heel, due to the expansion and contraction of the overhanging part in pulling it back in symmetrical relation to the cemented part.

I claim:

1. A rubber overshoe having a heel retainer molded of soft rubber, its lower part conforming to the inner wall of the heel and cemented thereto, its upper part standing inward from the cemented part and conforming to the receding part of the heel above the ball thereof, whereby when the shoe is ap plied the said inward standing part is caused to conform to the inner wall of the overshoe and have a holding function upon the heel of the wearers shoe within the overshoe.

2. A rubber overshoe having a heel-retainer consisting of a sheet of soft rubber molded to conform to the inner wall of the heel, its sides and lower edge cemented to the Wall, the part between the cemented ends being unattached to the wall and projecting therefrom inward and upward at an angle, a ;loop having one leg cemented to the heel- 1 wall, and its other leg cemented to the unattached retainer part.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE ELLIS Z-EIGLER.

l/Vitnesses A. E. H.,JOHNSON, ANNE B. JoHNsoN. 

